Attacks on public figures

Apr 01, 2010 Letters

Dear Editor,
To say that I was alarmed by the recent attempt on the lives of two government officials would be understating my feelings at that particular time.
This latest assault brings into question the protective measures the state can reasonably be expected to provide for public figures.
It also forces an evaluation of the self preservation methods that every individual can reasonably be expected to know and apply in their everyday lives.
I have always held the opinion that there are certain inalienable obligations which reside within the purview of the law enforcement agencies; these include the obligation of informing all persons within their jurisdiction of dangers both extant and potential that they are likely to face at some point.
This should occur with the concomitant responsibility to offer some suggestions/recommendations on how to respond to those threats.
Some persons disagree with that proactive approach even suggesting that to inform the citizenry would also be arming those with nefarious intent with sensitive information.
I will persist with the view that the good of the greater number of law abiding people is more important for a stable society.
For the sake of argument let us assume that a certain crime trend is observed which has potentially disastrous consequences if not curbed forthwith. It is my contention that the efforts of law enforcement could only be enhanced in terms of public cooperation if the citizenry is informed of the dangers, and what they themselves could do from the perspective of individual and collective community actions to maximize the probability of success.
This means enlightening the public on basic protective measures that anyone can apply to the point where they become second nature; among these is the ability to detect surveillance.
Surveillance is the systematic, discreet observation of an individual to develop information regarding his/her activities.
The difference between physical and technical surveillance is that in the former situation the target must be observed physically, and it is the only means by which he can be observed constantly over a period of time.
The safety of some public figures was compromised and they became kidnap victims or lost their lives because their movements became known and the necessary precautions were not taken including counter-surveillance measures.
Among the casualties of hostile surveillance are names like Inniss, Oderson, Sawh, and Waddell to name a few. This offering is not intended to be a surveillance detection tutorial which is a multi-layered process, but an argument for persons to be equipped with the tools to be able to respond to threats, and that they have some idea of what to look for. In most instances before an attack can be carried out with any probability of success, surveillance will be mounted on the target individual, property etc.
There have been cases where there was no surveillance prior to an attack and these occurred because the window of opportunity afforded the attackers the level of confidence to carry out their attack with a low probability of being disturbed in the act. I do believe that we in this country pay very little attention to the apparently small things which when they add up pose serious danger to our wellbeing.
Regardless of the nature of the potential threat it is important that public figures are guaranteed a high level of safety even if it means their participation in personal safety classes which contain strong elements of surveillance detection, and counter surveillance measures, or – at the very least inclusion of those elements in the training of the ranks detailed to provide security.
Some thought should also be given to including the domestic help (a la neighbourhood watch) and drivers of very important personages in offensive driving (which should not be too difficult seeing how we already drive), and other relevant techniques including ramming, counter-ambush, and collision avoidance.
I will probably look at the role of executive protection at another time. Editor, I think that there are sufficiently qualified persons and agencies out there that can provide the high level of comfort inherent in acquired knowledge applied in practice.
Patrick E. Mentore

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Attacks on public figures

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